Friday, November 23, 2012

loveliest of trees

I did the poem part of this post earlier and then never wrote the post part because Sherlock read the poem and started declaiming it from atop the sofa. Between that and L following me around singing Slade songs and making a tinfoil wig, I laughed so hard my face hurt. 

Tomorrow I will do my best to interrogate Mrs N as to the exact nature of this Christmas show before anyone starts building animatronic camels or shooting stars that really shoot. 

-

Loveliest of Trees
A.E. Housman

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

26 comments:

REReader said...

Oh, I like that poem, and I like that philosophy! (Although the message would definitely be changed when declaimed from the atop a sofa. Or maybe just intensified... :))


before anyone starts building animatronic camels or shooting stars that really shoot

... :D

Anonymous said...

Perhaps Sherlock can declaim poetry for a Christmas show... if not at school, then just for you lot and the two Mrses H. ;D (Please note the "perhaps" Sherlock!)

I do love Housman, though. My father could recite the entirety of "A Shropshire Lad" from memory. And most of the Archy and Mehitabel poems too!

Who got to wear the tinfoil wig?

rsf

Greg Lestrade said...

I tried to make John wear the wig. Hw tried to make me wear it. Sherlock wore it, but said it was too noisy.

pandabob said...

If Sherlock has all these ideas I'm guessing all the other children do as well so how on earth does Mrs N remain sane? One Sherlock with a Nannydoc and a DI is a battle of ideas, a class full must make her very glad to hear the bell ring for home time ;-)

Greg Lestrade said...

I can only imagine she either has the patience of a saint or is in some form of fight club...

But it is partly why we try to...temper Sherlock's enthusiasm.

pandabob said...

OK, note to self, don't encourage Sherlock too much!

I kind of like the idea Mrs N might be in fight club, she of course wouldn't be able to tell you if she was ;-)

Greg Lestrade said...

AnonyBob - as a parent I trust you to pick and choose things to encourage him over! As you all know, it's not like he needs a lot of encouragement or validation anyway.

pandabob said...

thanks Greg that's nice to know :-)

REReader said...

I have to say that I do find Sherlock's enthusiasm for the show this year endearing, especially remembering how dubious he was about the whole idea a year ago. :)

Greg Lestrade said...

AnonyBob - you give the impression of someone who has suffered excessive enthusiasm of the child-kind, however nice it is at first, it does get a bit tiring!

pandabob said...

I'm lucky that mine (normally) sleep for 11 hours a day and they only have me to encourage them. I have no idea how you and John manage but you're an inspiration the pair of you :-)

Greg Lestrade said...

I'm trying to influence Sherlock to go for the dancing - he could do with more group activities, rather than reading, which would be on his own more.

But we'll see if I have any powers in that direction!

REReader said...

I hope you manage it, L! Not only would it be being part of a group, but since he finds it more fun (it is!), he'll enjoy rehearsals more. :)

pandabob said...

I think you know the perfect way to get Sherlock to want to work with a group ;-)

good luck with it though.

Greg Lestrade said...

I think the way I 'manage' with Sherlock is a healthy dose of not really having grown up myself... don't know how John manages! :)

ryo said...

If you want Sherlock to go for the dancing, Lestrade, have you pointed out that since everyone has to audition, the others may not be as "stupid" as he expects?

And now I'm refraining from a short joke about John not growing up either... :)

ryo

pandabob said...

getting older is mandatory growing up is a choice ;-)

John H. D. Watson said...

I think we're just immature in complementary ways. ;)

REReader said...

The best ways! (No one should ever grow up too much to have fun. :))

Anonymous said...

Dancing with a group is fun, but it's even more fun when you've got some choreography and you've done enough rehearsing that everything "clicks" and you're all moving together. I hope Sherlock gives it a try.

rsf

Greg Lestrade said...

Maybe that's it...

You and Sherlock enjoying that Friday feeling?

REReader said...

And John, did you get the facts from Mrs N about your interpretive dance number in the Christmas show? :D

John H. D. Watson said...

Sherlock certainly is. :) How are you doing? Work okay?

John H. D. Watson said...

rr - sort of... I'll post about it later.

REReader said...

:)

Have a great rest-of-Friday-afternoon!

Greg Lestrade said...

Busy, mainly.

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